The Short History of the Long Road

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Dave S Abandoned by her mother when she was young and coping with the recent death of her father, Nola (Sabrina Carpenter) hits the road in the family’s Westfalia van in search of some sort of meaning to her life. The Short History of the Long Road is a quietly contemplative look at the meaning of family, featuring a solid performance from Carpenter, some beautiful vistas, and enough quiet insight into the values that make up our character to keep things interesting. Yes, some of the performances from the secondary characters are less than stellar and the pacing drags a bit at times, but it’s a decent enough effort from director Ani Simon-Kennedy. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/05/25 Full Review Ryan M This film was a masterpiece. Sabrina Shows how invested she is in whatever character she portrays. It was interesting how after her father passed away, she has feelings of loneliness and a bit of depression. Her journey of self-discovery leads her to find a new family. She Discovered that there is not just darkness in this world, there is light. There are people who will go out of their way to help others to thrive in our negative world. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/29/25 Full Review Alex H A cathartic, moving and melancholy story of a daughter traveling her whole life on the road with her father until his unexpected death. Strong performances and a grounded since of realism makes this a must watch. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/06/24 Full Review Sal D Surprise gem of a movie. Sabrina Carpenters' nuanced performance is special….script and production delivers an emotional story without being manipulative or going over the top. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/26/24 Full Review Audience Member It’s a long road ahead for everyone especially the road to life This is a coming of age tale that rings so much reality Former Disney Channel star Sabrina Carpenter’s first feature film has her embark on an existential journey After their house goes up for foreclosure Nola and her father Clint decide to pack up their lives and head out in their van in search of something better They’re practically homeless and penny less so they make stops and do small jobs whenever they can Tragedy then strikes and Nola ends up on her own When she arrives in New Mexico she befriends an auto mechanic Miguel played by Danny Trejo, aside from sticking around he takes her under his wing turning out to be a worthy assistant Nola then finds she’s not completely alone as she also befriends a girl named Blue who always stands on the street corner to escape her abusive home life This is another example of expert indie filmmaking; soothing music, gorgeous cinematography, lovely backgrounds, and sharp acting Sabrina Carpenter’s performance is her most grown up to date and is a spectacular tour de force, she’s a young daughterless wanderer hoping to survive in a giant world by herself and by harnessing the techniques her father taught her She even tracks down her long lost mother and why she wasn’t around The movie also has a universal theme that we can never stay in one place too long and that we can always keep going until we find what we are looking for We always have our biological family but also a logical one too For Nola she’s always moving from place to place trying to find a deeper meaning Director Ani-Simon Kennedy successfully tells a story about a certain culture of people that’s not too far off, many individuals want to live this kind of life away from the more distracting aspects of life and there’s nothing wrong with that Sometimes a trip down the road is exactly what we need in order to fully understand what’s next This is officially one of my fav independent pictures featuring one of my favorite actresses today Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/22/23 Full Review Michael M A Movie about Growth & Independence on the long road. Sabrina Carpenter is absolutely phenomenal in this and carrys the movie effortlessly! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/18/22 Full Review Read all reviews

The Short History of the Long Road

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